Capitol Hunger Games
by Rue's Mockingjay Song
Summary: Blossom's world is turned upside down when she's thrown into the arena with 23 other Capitol kids. When it's either hunt or be hunted, can Blossom survive? And how will a mysterious boy affect her decisions? When the odds are never in her favor, can she stay alive?
1. Chapter 1

Sunlight shone through the tattered curtains in my new room. It still seemed funny to me that I thought of this place as new, when clearly it wasn't. No one had lived in this apartment for several weeks but it looked as though a pack of wolves had run through it. Each piece of furniture had been torn and tossed about, which I suppose is the least of people's worries during a war. Suddenly I remembered that today was the reaping, for the Capitol Hunger Games that is. Every child between the age of 12 and 18 was to report to the courtyard outside the former President's mansion and was to be sectioned off according to which zone they had previously lived in. I was in zone 6, outer Capitol.

I got up out of my makeshift bed and attempted to wash my hair with the cold water from the faucet in the kitchen. I had raided an old boutique for a nice dress for the reaping several days ago and had found what I thought to be a beautiful piece. It was a long dress with no sleeves made from dark green fabric as soft as silk but sturdy like cotton, with embroidery around the neck line and shoulders with gold thread. I felt guilty when I took it from the shop but decided either I was going to take it or someone else was, and I had been dreading the day I'd have to wear it ever since. I slipped it on and turned to look at my reflection when I realised there was no mirror in this small apartment. Strange to think that some people even in a place such as the Capitol had lived without items I thought were necessary for everyday living. I left my shelter and joined the hundreds of children walking the streets towards the Centre. Some kids had families with them, giving them words of encouragement while others, like me walked on their own. I was one of many children orphaned during the war.

When I reached the Centre. I couldn't believe my eyes. A new mural had been painted on the side of the mansion of the Mockingjay in her armor with her bow raised to the sky. I had always admired Katniss and never thought her to be the evil person the Capitol workers wanted us to think she was. People in uniforms section us off according to our zones and before I know it I'm standing in a line with all the other 16 year old's from zone 6. President Paylor begins the reaping with a speech about how this is a way to end the suffering faced by the people of the districts, to quench their thirst for blood. Personally I feel it's a bit dramatic but judging by all the cameras' this is being broadcast nationwide, and God knows our nation loves some drama.

I barely even register whats going on around me untill the mentors are announced. "Zone 1, Johanna", President Paylor booms. "Zone 2, Annie. Zone 3, Myself. Zone 4, Haymitch. Zone 5 Peeta. And lastly zone 6, Katniss." I can't believe it, they're all actually here! As I'm thinking about my proximity to both Mr. AND Mrs. Mellark the tributes are being called. Each zone has 4 tributes in total, 2 boys and 2 girls. The zones start with 1-Capitol merchants, followed by 2-Capitol staff, 3-Capitol politicians, 4-inner Capitol, 5-wealthy Capitol and finally 6-outer Capitol. Of course these terms were associated to our previous living quarters and not our current ones and also with our parents, whose job's may have influenced where we lived. I snap back into focus when Katniss walks towards the podium with the rebel's symbol on it. "Ladies' first!", she says imitating Effie Trinket. The first name to be called out is Zara Wetheral who is in the year below me in school. I suddenly get nervous as Katniss reaches in for the second slip of paper. "Blossom Lore, 16", she reads out and I feel my blood run cold. Somehow I find my way onto the stage where Kaniss grips my hand and whispers "Head high",into my ear. I feel numb and suddenly exhausted as if I haven't slept for several days. Two boys' are called up to join me on the stage, but it takes my several minutes to come out of my shock and realise who they are. One is a boy I've never met before and the other is Zach Fargil.

Please let me know if you want to read more. I'll update hopefully in the next couple of days 


	2. Chapter 2

His blue eyes seemed to pierce into my soul, if that's not too dramatic and I suddenly felt kind of exposed out on this stage. I hid behind my hair and looked away, already knowing he'd seen the crimson blush spread up my cheeks. We were being ushered off while the crowd dispersed back into what remained of the Capitol's once bustling streets. I felt a hand slip into mine and turned to see Zara looking bewildered. I could only imagine what the little 12 year old was feeling, considering she was the youngest and smallest of 24 contestants. Katniss led us to the training centre which surprisingly hadn't been damaged badly in the fighting. I recognised the building immediately considering it had been on the television for 75 years while past contestants were training."This", Katniss said "Is your home for the next 2 week."

"2 weeks!", I ask, because we all know that it was always only 1 week in the past. "Yes. We decided that because of your total lack of experience 2 weeks would be needed to prepare you and give you a chance in these games." Well that didn't suit me. All this meant was more time to get to know the people around me, and more time to realise how unlikely it was that I would survive. We took the elevator up to the 11th floor where the two boys, Zach and Michael were staying. I tried to ignore the tingling feeling that spread up my arm as Zach brushed past me. Then we reached the top floor, and my home for the next 2 weeks, floor 12.

Katniss showed us to our rooms and I immediately fell onto the soft bed, feeling a sense of security wrap around me. This feeling was shortlived however because all at once reality came crashing down on me. Just as I felt I was about to have a total meltdown and cry untill I couldn't cry anymore, there was a soft knock on the door. Somehow I knew it was Zara even before she said "Do you mind if I stay in here for a while?" "Of course not, hey we zone 6 girls gotta stick together right?", I reply trying to reassure her that I'm not an enemy to her. I couldn't hurt Zara even if I tried. With her long black hair and dark brown eyes she looked just like my sister Lena, and I just knew that she would be to me like Rue had been to Katniss. Her eyes meet mine and she whispers "Really? Do you mean that?" The only thing I can think to say is "Of course, we can help eacother and make eachother strong." She crawls onto my bed and snuggles up beside me under the duvet. She drifts off to sleep and the last thing I hear her say is "Allies"

Just as I find my eyelids fluttering closed the door opens revealing Katniss standing in the doorway. "Remember each promise you make from now on affects your chances in the arena.", and with that she leaves. What does she mean? Surely she doesn't think being allies with Zara is a mistake? I mean neither of us is going to survive anyway. I sleep peacefully that but wake up feeling like its the last good night's sleep I'll get.

_**Thanks to FoxfaceFan1 for the review**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**I'd love to know what you guys think of the story so far? Should I continue?**_

I woke when I heard movement around me, which turned out to be an avox setting out my clothes for the day. Zara must've gone back to her room to get ready aswell. The avox left as quietly as she'd come in and I got up to inspect the items she'd left behind. There was a jacket and a pair of troesers both made of the same dark grey fabric. The jacket, I noticed had Zone 6 written on it in big white letters. A plain black t-shirt was also in the pile along with socks and runners. "We must be training or something", I mutter to myself. "Indeed you are.", says a voice from behind me. I should put some kind of bell on my mentor, seriously it's not natural that she gets around so quietly. "Come on let's get the others.", she says as she turns on her heels and walks out the door.

Zara comes out of her room in the same outfit as mine and we take the elevator down to the next floor. The boys join us and, what a shocker, they're in the same clothes too. Katniss presses the button for the basement and we shoot downwards. I'm still trying to ignore the fact that Zach is standing RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME when the doors open to reveal the training centre which was one of the few places that hadn't been on the t.v. over the years. The tributes from zones 1 and 4 were already there so we joined them. Katniss, Johanna and Haymitch all start talking but the rest of us sit in silence. Soon the tributes from zones 2, 3 and 5 appear and now we're just waiting for the instructors to show up.

"Attention tributes", comes a voice from the corner. "My name is Instructor Waters and I will be the head instructor for you training during these 2 weeks. You will see different stations around the room. 2 people can work at each station at one time. I suggest you move your asses and get to work. NOW!" Wow okay someone got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning. Everyone starts to move in separate directions. I guess Zara has decided that archery is the first skill to master and I start walking in that direction when someone puts a hand on my arm. I'm chanting "Please be Zach" in my head but I turn to see it's the other boy, Michael who stopped me. "Hey, I'm Michael. Just wanted to get to know everyone in my zone, don't think it'll be useful afterwards though considering..." and he trailed off. "Hi, I'm Blossom", I say. "Yeah I know stupid name, but anyway c'mon there's an empty station over there.

After 2 hours at the station with Michael I had learned many things. 1) I was surprisingly good at throwing knives. 2) Michael was surprisingly terrible at throwing knives. 3) Other tributes get jealous when you're good at skills that could possibly kill them and 4) It kind of scared me how much fun we were having with sharp metal things. "So I'm guessing you know Zach Fargil huh?" Michael asks. "What? No, why?" I reply. "Well you've asked several hundred questions about him, and stared at the back of his head for the last 10 minutes. I wouldn't waste my time on him if I was you." "Dude, he was in my school before, I was just trying to figure out who he was but thanks, I remember now." Blossom you know you talk too fast when you're nervous, slow yourself down. "So it looks like it's time for lunch you want to go get some food?", better much better, great now I'm talking to myself. Haven't even started the games and I'm going crazy. We walk into the canteen and sit down at a table with the soup and rolls that are left out. "Mind if I sit here?", someone asks. "Sure whatever, knock yourself out.", I say. It's only the I realise who the blonde hair and blue eyes belong to. That's when I start choking on my roll.


	4. Chapter 4

What a great way to start off my time with these other kids, by choking on bread. As I coughed and spluttered someone was slapping my back to help me dislodge the piece of bread that I had forgotten to chew when I saw Zach. I was mortified, as most people are when they cause a scene in public but it got worse when I realised Zach was the one that was slapping my back. How could this day get any worse? After what felt like an eternity I finally stopped coughing and Michael started to laugh, soon followed by Zach and Zara who'd joined us at some point during my incident. I just wanted to get back to training but we still had 15 minutes untill the break was over, so I decided that now was as good a time as any to talk to Zach

"Hey, thanks for helping with the um, choking thing.", I say. "No problem, couldn't have you dying on me before the games have started now could I?", he replies. I'm so busy trying to work out what he means that I don't notice everyone leaving the lunch room. By the time I notice I'm the last one out everyone has partnered up and are at the good stations. I go over to the only station with a place left, which is ropes. The boy beside me is eager to learn and the instructor seems happy about this. I don't say much besides "Can you do that again?" because I'm not exactly a quick learner. After an hour and a half I notice Zara on her own at the camouflage station and we spend a half hour there practising basic techniques using things you would find in the wild.

I leave training exhausted and can't wait to get into bed but when I finally get back into my room I see 4 people already waiting for me. "Hi Blossom, I'm your stylist Vans and this is your prep team, Orla, Sergei and Azalea. we have to start measuring you for outfits and such for next week so we can start designing now", and with that they came over with measuring tapes and they measured every inch of me from head to toe. All I had done was stand for an hour but I was so tired I almost didn't make it to my bed. The next week followed in almost the exact same pattern, get up, go to training,go to my stylist, go to bed and repeat. Each day might have a short conversation with Zach or Michael, and Zara had taken to sleeping in my bed but other than that nothing that interesting happened thankfully. I don't think I needed any more attention after the bread incident.

Exactly 1 week had gone by when they announced that the parade through the Capitol would take place that evening. We were sent to spend the whole day with our prep team which wasn't so bad because many of the tasks they have to do are common among the Capitol's residents so it all seemed quite normal to me. I was left on my own with Vans who asked me about the green dress I had left on the floor the very first night we'd stayed here. It took me a couple of minutes to remember what he was talking about but finally it clicked. " I just loved the colours!", he told me. "So I used it as inspiration for this", and he pulled a dress from behind the door where I couldn't have seen it before. It was a floor length gown made from a dark green fabric very similar to the other dress. It had gold embroidery along the neckline but this time it had tong sleeves with the same embroidery on it. Beads were embroidered into the waist and it seemed to shimmer under the light. I was speechless. "Zara has the same dress only it's gold with green embroidery. We have to hurry or you're going to be late, let's go!", Vans said.

He was right because when we got there the first 2 carriages had already left. I slipped my gold heels on and looked around to see which carriage I was to get onto. "Over her Blossom", called Zach. Of course I was with him! I wasn't sure if I was happy or unhappy about it so I decided to make the most of our time together. "Vans told me that we should hold hands like Katniss and Peeta did in their first Hunger Games", I tell him. "Sure, if that's what he wants then let's do it.", he says and he winked. Winked! At me! Okay fangirl moment over I held his hand in mine as we started to move. Riding in a carriage is hard enough already but it was even harder for me considering how light headed I suddenly felt. This was going to be a long and interesting night.

_**Feedback would be greatly appreciated by anyone who offers it. If you have any suggestions just let me know!**_


	5. Chapter 5

The carriage ride seemed endless, but it did end eventually with a speech from President Paylor about the bravery and sacrifice of our rebels and how this very last 76th Hunger Games would end the suffering of Panem's people forever. The crowds cheered and we were brought back to the training centre. Normally the parade takes place before training starts but this year it just signalled the halfway point for our training. All went back to normal over the next several days untill the 4th day after the parade. I knew i was going to have to put some thought into my talent for my display for the creators. Each gamemaker would be watching me and I couldn't think of anything impressive I could show them. I asked Katniss about it in private that night. "Go in and show them the skill you have with those knives. I noticed that you're extremely accurate, its like you never miss. I can't imagine you threw knives for fun at home", she says with one eyebrow raised in a slightly mocking yet questioning way. "No never, guess I'm just a natural born hunter born into the wrong district", I reply. " I guess you are!"

I felt much better after talking to Katniss and spend my last day of training practicing with the knives. I decided in the first few days that I was going to pretend the other tributes didn't exist because I couldn't get to know someone just to have to kill them in 2 days time. I had successfully achieved that goal with the exceptions of Zara, Zach and Michael. Zara was just so young and naïve that i couldn't leave her on her own. Zach was just, well Zach and I had spent a lot of time at stations with Michael over the past 2 weeks. I suppose it couldn't hurt to have a few allies in the arena could it? I made sure Zara started to sleep in her own bed because chances were we would be separated in the arena, and i wanted to make sure she could sleep on her own. She mustn't have had any problems because she gets up in the morning bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and rearing to get her talents on display for the Gamemakers. Well that made one of us. I was so nervous I barely ate any breakfast and I'm not quite sure how I made it to the waiting room. All of a sudden i noticed that each tribute from zones 1 to 5 had already gone in and Zara was next. I wished her good luck and gave her a hug, then she almost skipped into the room. Wow that girl has some killer confidence, I wonder if she'd let me borrow some. They call in Michael and I start shaking like a leaf. Not enough time has passed before I hear "Blossom Lore, Zone 6"

**Okay so I'm going to keep writing and pretend that you people out there are actually reading this. Let me know if You've any suggestions or complaints/comments.**


	6. Chapter 6

I got up from my chair and Zach gave me an encouraging nod. Okay let's do this. I walked in and noticed the Gamemakers up in a room above the training centre behind some glass. All eyes were on me and I knew all of them were paying close attention, as Katniss had warned us earlier. Now wasn't the time to act shy so I walked right in and straight to the knives. There were a variety of shapes and sizes but I picked the largest 2 and the smallest 2. The targets were lining the walls around me. First I threw the 2 large knives one hitting the head, the other the centre of the chest. I felt pretty proud considering they were 9 inches long and heavy. Now was the hard part, the small, light, 5 inch knives. Id had lots of trouble with them in training and had only perfected this shot once. Glancing up at the Gamemakers I threw the knives simultaneously and actually managed to hit the exact same spots on the targets. Okay now it was time for my final throws. I picked up 4 knives of equal size and stood in the centre of the room. I threw a knife in each direction and hit the centre target on each wall square in the middle of the chest. "Thank you Blossom", came a voice from above and just like that I was dismissed. Whatever adrenaline that had kicked into my system had worn off by now and I felt drained. I went straight up to my room and ate in there.

The only reason I came out was because the scores were being televised and Katniss wanted us to watch together. Unlike other years the scores were unpredictable and varied from tribute to tribute. Some got meagre 3's and 4's others 8's and 9's. I made a mental note to remember the highest ranked, they would be the toughest. Next came Zone 6. "Zara Wetheral, age 12. Oh this girl has potential. 10", The commentators say. Everyone in the room seemed shocked apart from Zara who has a somewhat smug look on her face. "Told you I'd be good", she says triumphantly. She's already the genius 12 year old who skipped 3 years in school before the war and now she's ranking a 10! Next to be ranked is Michael who gets a respectable 7. Then it's my turn. "Blossom Lore, aged 16. Our last female tribute receives a 9". Wait, did he say nine? I got a nine. I GOT A NINE! I can't believe it, even when the others all congratulate me. I almost miss Zach's score which is an 8. "Got beaten by two girls eh Fargil?", Katniss laughs. He seems a bit annoyed but a smile is back on his face in no time and we're sent off to bed because we have our interviews tomorrow and we're told that some of us in particular need our beauty sleep.

I never had night mares before, but on this night I do. I imagine a vast jungle filled with animals I've only ever seen in books, insects the size of my hands and so many different strange plants, I'm lost within the canopy of the jungle when suddenly a canon explodes. A sound only heard in the games. I hear footfall behind me and I start to run but tree roots trip me up. I fall and feel something snap in my leg and I hit the ground. I face my attackers only to find my parents and sister staring down at me teeth bared and knives at the ready. I wake covered in sweat and realise that it was all a dream. That doesn't stop me from lamenting the loss of my family and during the early hours of the morning I cry myself into a restless sleep

**Thanks soooooo much to for the review and the favourite. I appreciate all kinds of feedback, positive or negative and love to know that people enjoy what I'm writing.**


	7. Chapter 7

"Blossom did you sleep at all?", Vans asked me when I walk into the prep room. "Of course I did, but did you expect me to sleep peacefully so close to the games?", I reply knowing that he can't argue with my logic. "Ah I suppose makeup as always will save the day", he says and with that he leaves me to my prep team to be washed, dried, waxed and plucked within an inch of my life. I'm from the Capitol but even I'm not prepared for the amount of work that has to be done to make me presentable for the cameras. Vans enters again once the dirty work has been done to direct the team on how to apply my make up, which is quite natural just strong brows, long lashes and flawless looking skin. He then reveals the dress he's been working on for weeks. It's light blue, just the right shade to make my eyes pop. It looks like a simple strapless dress but when he turns it around I see an intracit design made of lace which must be what was actually going to hold the dress to my body. It caught the light around the room and shimmered as the fabric moved. I put it on and the fabric was softer than silk. Tall silver heels were left at my feet to put on and my hair was left down around my shoulders. "We don't need to do anything too dramatic with you honey because you already shine like the stars. It's a shame that you have to go in there, but hopefully I'll see that beautiful face in the victors chair when it's all over", Vans said. I choked up a little, not realising how fond of him I'd become. "I hope I'll see you too", is all that I manage to say then someone knocks at our door telling us that the interviews are staring soon.

Zara looks stunning in an orange floor length gown that makes her olive skin look beautifully sun-kissed and it makes her look older than her 12 years. Michael and Zach's stylists both went with suits but Michael's is in Brown and Zach's is in black. Compared to other Zones we look kind of plain, many of them have flashy outfits but Katniss told us our theme was a nautural theme. The tributes have already started their interviews. Some are charming, some are funny, some are quiet and some sound almost vicious. I never thought anyone from the Capitol would have any blood lust in them but I guess I was wrong. Katniss took each of us for an hour this morning and helped us to decide how we would handle the situation. After 45 minutes she said, "You're much more like me than I thought Blossom, I guess that means that you should be honest. My friend Cinna told me to answer the questions like I was talking to him. Well you should answer them like you're talking to me, okay?" I told her I'd try my best but I still felt slightly unprepared. I wished everyone luck and just like with the display for the Gamemakers it was like time sped up and suddenly I was next. Somehow Caeser Flickerman had survived the war and it was him that said, "Next up Zone 6's Blossom Lore"

I walked out and heard the applause of the crowd, and I scanned it untill I found Katniss. I t was a relief to be able to see her. I sat down and Caeser told me my 4 minute interview was starting. He asked me all about my life back home, and I explained to him how my parents and sister had died and how I was orphaned. "Oh you poor dear", he said. To which I replied, "At least no one will have to watch me die in the next few days." there was a gasp from the audience as if they hadn't been expecting me to say that, and Caeser told me that all of Panem would mourn the loss of each dead tribute, and that you never knew I could be the one coming out alive. I answered all of the questions about training and my preparations truthfully but Caeser's last question caught me by surprise. "Do you have a boyfriend Blossom", he asked. "Um... eh well um no", I stammered, already feeling my cheeks going crimson. " Well that's good because we've heard that one of your fellow tributes has a crush on you. It's like another Katniss and Peeta. Maybe you two can both survive the games, I certainly feel like your relationship would go far!", he says and with that my interview is over. Now I know what Katniss felt like. Embarrassment didn't even begin to describe what I was feeling right now. One thing was comforting me though, Caeser had said he knew my secret crush and I would go far. He put so much emphasis on that last word that I was certain I was right. He was talking about Zach, I mean his last name is FARgil how much more obvious could he get. Still I wasn't exactly hopeful about a sudden whirlwind romance occurring in the arena but you never really knew, the Games always surprised us.

**Thanks to everyone who is reading x**


	8. Chapter 8

The tributes all left the interviews feeling exhausted from what I could tell. None of us were used to so much stress in our lives, I certainly wasn't. It was so hard to balance all the physical stuff we'd been doing with all the mental preparations. I don't know how the tributes from the districts before the war coped. All I wanted to do was sleep, which I suppose was a good thing because I'd need my sleep. From what Katniss said and from watching other games I knew sleep could be hard to find. I had been trying to mentally prepare myself for tomorrow for the past 2 weeks but I still couldn't picture myself in an arena tomorrow. The whole experience had been so surreal. I tossed and turned for what felt like hours but my clock told me was only 37 minutes. The sheets clung to me, giving me the feeling of being trapped. I felt suffocated in the stuffy room but I couldn't escape, where could I go? Nowhere. I eventually fell asleep and dreamt of secret admirer's and jungles and being chased.

I woke with a start to the sound of my prep team entering my room. They were here to make sure everything looked perfect and to give me my clothes. Vans was absent this time. I was given a light jumpsuit, plain black and n a very odd material. It almost seemed like it had holes in it, like it was meant to be breathable. I slipped it on and my team tied my hair up in a ponytail. Once they felt I looked presentable I was sent off to say goodbye to Katniss and board the hovercraft that would take me to the arena. I didn't get to see the others from my zone and immediately felt guilty for not saying goodbye to Zara. I didn't have long to talk to Katniss but I knew what I wanted to ask her before I saw her. "Do I have to kill them?", I ask already able to hear the desperation in my voice. "I would love to be able to say no.", is the answer she gives me. I can feel my heart drop. "But I don't think I can do it", I say. "neither did I but even the best people with the best intentions have the ability to lose their morals in the right situation, or should I say the wrong situation.",she replies and I immediately know she's right. I say goodbye to her and thank her profusely for her help because I know in my heart I won't see her again. She says good luck and I'm taken to the hovercraft.

They inject tracker into my arm and I panick because I hate, no despise needles. "A little needle should be the least of your worries", a voice from behind me says which I immediately recognise as Vans'. "You would think that but I'm trying to focus ont he present and not the future", I say. "Yeah I know the feeling darling", He replies and he gives me a quick hug. We eat and make small talk, while I try to take as much liquid into me as I can. Judging by the clothes Vans thinks the climate in the arena will be hot, which can lead to dehydration, which he assures me is worse than almost anything else. It's supposedly slow and painful so I'm hoping to minimise my chances of becoming dehydrated by drinking pretty much everything on the hovercraft now. We reach to arena and I can physically feel myself tensing up. I'm so scared and I'm guessing pretty much all the tributes are. I'm given exactly 3 minutes with Vans untill I have to be in the tube and sent up to the arena. He takes a black brooch out of his pocket with a mockingjay on it. "Katniss and one hade for each of you",he tells me as he clips it onto the front of my jumpsuit. I look at the gift and tell him to thank her for me. Just as he's telling me he will of course an announcement comes out of a speaker and I'm told that I have to get ready to leave. Panick swells up in my chest and it gets hard to breath. I step into the tube and it counts down from 10. I wave to Vans and I start moving upwards.

Bring, hot sunlight blinds me for several seconds. I'm in a desert . The tributes are in a circle around the cornucopia. Items are scattered around the area between us and the cornucopia, the most valuable right up at the front and the least valuable closer to us. I turn around and see trees far in the distance. "Claudius Templesmith announces,as he does every year, "Ladies and Gentlemen let the 76th Hunger Games begin!" And so our 60 second wait begins.

**Thanks for reading. Hopefully I'll be updating shortly x**


	9. Chapter 9

The sound of an explosion followed by a gong rings throughout the arena. Someone must have forgotten about the wait, but I couldn't see who because the cornucopia blocked my view. The suspense was killing me. I had decided to get a bag about a third of the way to the cornucopia, which was roughly 100 metres away from me. Suddenly everyone starts moving, I must have missed the gong signalling the end of our wait! I sprint in and sense the others running alongside me. I dive for the bag and lose my balance long enough for someone else to shove me to the ground, I'm not attacked though. I start running knowing there's no point in staying anywhere near the cornucopia.

I run untill I realise how unfit I am and I stop for a minute. I can't see the cornucopia very clearly from here and the rising heat makes it harder to see by causing ripples in my vision. Good, that means the others probably can't see me. I open my bag and find a canteen filled with water, a loaf of bread and rope. At first I'm delighted with the food and water but realise that this must mean they're probably going to be hard to find out here in the arid desert. I start to walk again and let my thoughts wander. I wonder where Zara, Michael and Zach are, but I mostly wonder about Zara and hope that it wasn't her that leapt from her place too early. I'm so deep in thought I don't notice the ground getting softer beneath my feet, or the sky gradually turning from blue to pink. Eventually I do notice the sun setting and I look around for somewhere to rest.

I find a large bush like plant that's quite prickly and the outside but camouflaged the hollow space int the centre of it. It's only as I'm climbing in that I notice the trees and the plants and realise that I've reached the dark jungle that I had noticed earlier. I had thought it was probably a mirage, but obviously not! I wondered if it circled the whole desert and was about to climb out of my hiding place to look when I heard footsteps. It sounded just like those from my dreams, but I knew my family weren't in here with me, they couldn't be. Still I froze where I was sitting and watched the jungle around me. A group of 4 tributes walks past, they look just like the career packs we used to see year after year. They're 2 boys and 2 girls I recognised from Zones 3 and 5 and they seem to be talking about something that happened earlier this morning. I only hear bits and pieces but I'm glad I don't hear any more. "Wouldn't stop screaming, the wimp!", "How many did we get? 11, that's not enough.", "I get that one, he's my kill." They'd killed 11 people already! I really needed to pay more attention to the gongs, I hadn't even noticed them earlier.

They move on but I'm still in the same position praying that they didn't catch anyone from my Zone, they're the only family I have left. I hear the anthem playing and look up to find the new seal of Panem up in the sky. 12 faces are shown, 12 dead teenagers' faces are up in the sky. This isn't something I ever wanted to experience but I watch each face so I get an idea of whose left. No one from my Zone is up there so that means they're all alive! I feel a weight lifted off my shoulders. The anthem plays again and I decide to use my rope to make a snare and try to catch some food for tomorrow. I don't set it too far from my bush. Normally this would be a bad idea but it's getting so dark that I don't think I'd find my way back to my hiding place if I walked any farther. The temperature drops suddenly from a high and humid heat to freezing cold. I knew the temperatures in the desert were extreme but this can't be natural. Now I know why there were sleeping bags quite close to the cornucopia, they would make sleeping at night slightly less impossible. I curled myself up and tried to get some sleep, knowing that it wouldn't be easy.

**So I'm assuming you guys read my random comments at the end. I'd love to know how you want this to go. Do you want a long description of the games over lots more chapters or shall I keep this as a short story? More chapters probably won't be uploaded untill I get some feedback. Thanks for reading x**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

_**Hey I'd really appreciate your feedback in the comments x**_

I wake as the sun rises , it's light piercing through the dark of my dreams. A sheen of sweat covers my body and my breathing is shallow. The same dream of my family haunts my sleep. All of the events of yesterday flood back to me and I know I have to get my day started. I get up from under my hiding place in the foliage and make my way to the snare I set last night. The first thing I notice is how close to my cover I had set it and the second thing is how empty it is. Empty. My stomach grumbles as if it knows this means it won't be getting the breakfast it expects. I sigh and start walking again.

I've decided my next step is going to be to see how big this jungle is, then I'll find Zara. Two goals which may or may not be achievable. The next few days will tell. I take in my surroundings to pass time as I walk. Lush trees and bushes are growing everywhere, which I would assume means there's water here somewhere and plenty of it. Strangely I don't see any animals so I suppose that's why I didn't catch any, but I definitely can hear wildlife. I notice the trees getting thicker and have to push my way through the last meter or two and then I stop dead in my tracks. The jungle does end and beyond it lies miles and miles of empty desert. Judging by the height of the sun I'd say I've only been walking for two or three hours. I feel my heart sink as I realise this means I have less cover to hide from the others. "Right", I tell myself, "now we find Zara,"

Walk, that's all my brain is able to do. Left root, right foot, left foot again. Breath in and out. Keep moving. The sun beats down on me like no heat I've ever experienced before. It feels like a searchlight pointing saying, "Here's a weak one, come get her! " At this stage death might be preferable. No. No, I'll find Zara and well get through it together. No more negative thoughts. I'm passing by a large clump of trees when I hear a sound. Startled I feel my pulse quicken but find I'm rooted to the spot. Like a deer caught in the headlights. It's only when I actually match the voices I hear to the faces they belong to that the adrenaline kicks in in and I start running. The careers, they're here. Lucky enough they don't seem to hear me but I run until I'm out of breath just in case.

I notice the sun beginning to set and the sky turning different shades of pink, yellow and orange. That's when I start looking a new place settle down. I walked for roughly 8 hours and I drank all of my water. The bread is gone as well. Distracted by my thirst I see the perfect bush and walk towards without looking too carefully. Its only as I'm right beside it do I see the blood. Shining crimson in the setting sun, I can tell it's fresh, only maybe an hour old. How did I miss the canon. There has to have been a canon, hasn't there? I look inside the bush and see a sleeping bag. Finally my luck is changing! I know someone has died but at least they're helping someone else to survive right? I fight with my conscience and eventually decide that judging by the amount of blood the person who was here couldn't still be alive, therefore they wouldn't mind if I took their stuff. I mean if I didn't the next person who came along would, so I took the sleeping bag. It looked like the owner had literally been dragged out of it because it was torn and blood smeared it places but it was a luxury to have, and I knew that. Beside it lay a half full canteen and a small packet with some kind of dried fruit in it. I gathered my findings and found another good bush hoping I wouldn't meet the same fate as the last occupant of my current sleeping bag. I watched the stars come up and the symbol of the rebellion lit up the sky. Two more dead today. I don't recognise either and immediately feel bad. I was around these people for 2 whole weeks and I never tried to get to know most of them. My thoughts are of Zara and I know I have to find her, and soon. Just as I'm nodding off I hear a crunch dangerously close to me. I stay as still as possibly not daring to breath. I let out a breath thinking whoever it was is gone. And a hand shoots through the bush.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

My body freezes, which is probably a bad reaction when someone is puling you out of your hiding spot. I can tell whoever is trying to kill me is strong, and as I emerge into the moonlight the silhouette I see is in the shape of a tall man. I try to scream but no noise comes out. If its the careers, I'm done for anyway and no amount of fight I have in me can change that. All of a sudden my attacker drops me and I fall to the jungle floor with a thump. I scramble to my feel and prepare to try to fight my out out of this possibly lethal situation. That is, of course, when I hear the familiar voice say "Blossom, is... is that you? Blossom!" Next thing I know I'm enveloped in a bear hug by the person I had been preparing to try and kill seconds before. Not exactly how I was expecting this to go but I decided to roll with it, I mean worst comes to worst they're tricking me and are planning my imminent death. "And you are?", I ask and it's obvious even to me that I sound completely baffled. "Its Zach, and I am so happy to see you right now"

I had never been more thankful for the darkness than in this moment. It meant that I could do my "OH MY GOD HE'S HERE" victory dance and he (hopefully) couldn't even see it. Unfortunately I realised the people in the capitol could, but hey maybe they'll enjoy the spectacle and I might be seeing some parachutes soon. I'm not quite sure what is going to come out of my mouth next but I never fail to embarrass myself. "I, oh wow, youre here. With me. Now. Well I em, hi I guess?" Smooth Blossom, real smooth. "Hi, hows it goiong", he replies with a hint of laughter. He leans in close and whispers just loud enough for the cameras to hear "You come here often?" I actually cannot control the laughter that follows from me, and it gets worse when he says "Imagine me waggling my eyebrows while I said that" This is not what I pictured when I thought of the games, but I'll take it. I finally recover from my laughing fit and ask him if he wants to come into my hiding spot. It may be small but I wouldn't mind being close to him for a little while. We huddle together under the ripped sleeping bag. "So how's your day been, cos mine's been great", I sigh.

We talk for hours about what has happened. He tells me that he escaped the initial bloodbath and ran towards the jungle, which it seems is where most tributes headed. He says he came across a camp that someone had left behind, blood smeared with a few useful items laying around. He has a knife a bottle of water, which is now empty and some kind of funnel. Neither of us can figure out what the funnel is for but it fits onto the bottle perfectly so I guess we'll find out eventually. I tell him about my close encounters with the careers and we both decide that we're staying well away from them "Wait, does this mean you want to be allies?", Zach asks. I actually have to bite my tongue to stop all of the stupid stuff from spilling from my mouth. I try to sound casual when I say, "yeah well we,re together now, may aswell help each other out. I scratch your back, you scratch mine y'know." My conversation skills seriously need some improvement because Wow that was bad, even for me. Can I actually get more cringe-worthy? The sun starts to rise and its light shines through the leaves on our bush. I feel so tired all of a sudden and yawn reflexively. "I'll keep watch for a while, you get some rest you look tired", Zach says. I agree through mumbles and I'm almost asleep as my head hits the jungle floor. The last thing I notice is a light pressure on my forehead, the same amount of pressure that comes from a kiss.

**Guys I am soooo extremely sorry that I haven't updated in so long. I know this is a short one but I promise big things are coming up! It's been a crazy, busy 2 months but I'm going to binge write over the next few days and upload the next few chapter over the next few weeks(hopefully!) I got my plan all sorted so I know where this story is going, but if you have any suggestions not involving my Zone 6 crew, I will happily try to include them into the story. Until next post bye x**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

I wake up suddenly and squint at the bright light that floods into my eyes. My back aches from sleeping on the floor, which is a feeling I'm unfamiliar with considering that for most of my 16 years I slept on nice, comfy mattresses. I can see Zach's outline through the bush and I fix my hair and hopefully make myself presentable before I go out to him. "Morning sleepyhead", he says. Unbelievable, he mustn't have slept for ages and he still looks prefect. I grumble some kind of response and he just laughs at me. I've never been a morning person, and I guess that hasn't changed. "What's the plan for today captain?", he asks as he mock salutes me. "And I'm captain because...", I reply. Seriously who would leave me in charge, I can barely take care of myself. "I just assumed because I'm tagging along with you that you're Alpha here", he says kind of nonchalantly. "No we're partners now", I tell him. "One for all and all for one, or something like that." We both just laugh and high five to team spirit. This day probably couldn't get any better.

I've persuaded Zach that finding Zara is a good move. She's nimble and she seems like she could be a great lookout, plus she's deadly with that bow. My only worry is that maybe we won't find her. I swear that in the last day the jungle has spread, and there's less desert. There's still no sign of animals or water though. I can feel the dry ache of thirst in the back of my throat constantly. Normally when I was thirsty I had 20 different drinks to choose from, but now I can even find one. We've stopped talking because even opening our mouths now requires energy that we don't have. I was so happy this morning, and now I feel like I'm on the verge of dehydration. I'm so thirsty that I can't even feel the ache of my empty stomach.

Somewhere along the way we changed the direction we were walking in, and I find my feet sinking into hot sand. I'm yanked backwards and just as I turn around to protest Zach puts his finger to his mouth and points out into the desert. I look out and see the cornucopia shimmering in the sunlight. Our "careers" surround it, in some kind of huddle. I'd say they're roughly 200 meters away from us, which means the jungle has extended a lot more than I'd thought in the last few days. I can tell Zach's trying to come up wit a plan but I'm having trouble putting one foot in front of the other, I'm not able to think straight let alone be strategic. He turns to me all of a sudden and says "Look they're moving." When I face the careers again I see 3 of them heading out into the jungle, thankfully none in our direction. The girl from 3 is left behind and I know why, she got a 10 in training so I'd say trying to take her down isn't an option. The girl, I think her name is Merina, moves over to something about 20 meters away from the cornucopia. I watch her take a bottle and put it into this square shaped thing, pull it out and drink from it. It takes me a few seconds to figure out what it is she's doing and then something in the back of my brain just screams "it's a well!" Next thing I know I have 2 canteens and Zach as a plan.

It's considerably darker, but the remaining careers haven't returned yet. It's time to make our move. Zach walks out into the desert about 100 meters to my left. He gets about 50 meters out before Merina notices him and shouts, "Hey 6, come a little closer there." "Oh hey, Merina right", he replies as he stumbles forward. "Do...do you have any food?", he asks. She gets up and strides towards him, assuming he's weak and an easy catch. Little does he know that as soon as she's far enough away from the well that he's going to bolt back into the jungle and run untill she can't catch him. He's ridiculously fast, and we know speed isn't high on her list of skills. When I see Zach run into the forest I get ready to run to the well. As soon as Merina is out of sight, I run as fast as my little legs can carry me out to the well. Just as I'd hoped there are 6 bottles here, only a few people must've been able to get them in the initial bloodbath. I fill the bottles and the 2 that we already had and run straight back to the place I arranged to meet with Zach. I settled down into the soft plants, but made sure to conceal myself and I just had a little rest. I was only going to close my eyes for a minute, honestly. But that minute turned into an hour and that hour turned into hours. Good thing I was hidden or the tributes who walked past would've seen me, and possibly killed me.

**So it's a long one! I get a little carried away sometimes, my apologies, but I have to story planned out so when things are clear in my mind it just seems to flow I guess. Don't even care about follows just review please! And I'll be back (possibly tomorrow) with the next installement. x**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Something is on my leg. It's dark and something is crawling over my leg. Okay I need to stay still and wait for it to go away. My whole body is tensed and in my efforts to relax it I let out all of the air I've been holding in while I tried no to move. The next thing I feel is searing pain in my leg, the thing has bitten me or stung me or whatever, who cares what it did, it hurts! Whatever it is it's gone now, scuttled away through the plants. I'm not used to pain and immediately I feel my eyes filing with tears, I take in a deep shaky breath and try to compose myself before I start bawling. I think I'd feel better if I could just see what was wrong. I feel down my leg and find my trousers ripped just above the knee. Whatever it was that bit me it left a hole the size of two of my fingers, and I can feel where it punctured my skin. Now my leg has started tigling, not good. I try to get up but I can't move my leg, this is bad, so very very bad. At least I've made it to the spot where I'm supposed to meet Zach, where is he though?

I fall in and out of a restless sleep, sipping water when I wake to re hydrate myself. I know from other games that when people don't meet up where they're supposed to, it's not usually a good sign. I can't even get up to look for him because my left leg is completely numb from the bite. I start panicking a little when I hear a noise to my right. It starts getting closer and I wonder how I've managed to leave myself completely unarmed, plus now I can't move. For the second time in the last few days Zach almost gives me a heart attack by waiting untill the last second to announce his arrival. "Hey I'm so glad to see you, did you hear the canons?", he says. "Hey? HEY? I've been here for hours and you never showed up plus I CAN'T MOVE! hang on did you say canons?", I almost scream back. Before I can actually start asking him about the canons, which I didn't hear, he bends down and says pretty urgently, "You got bitten. By what? Where?" "I'm not sure actually, just a bug.", I reply as I point to the bump that has now formed over my knee. He looks at my leg and gasps. I take my first look at it in hours and I can't believe it. The punctures are about a centimeter across each, and the area around them is turning a dark purple colour. What did they say this was before, blood poisoning? Or some other deadly disease? I'm going to dye. I never even got to find Zara. "Hey, it's fine, you're fine", Zach tries to reasure me, but even he knows I'm not going to last untill the end. "I'll go try and find some food and you can get your energy back"

Zach comes back after finding another camp with another tributes bloody belongings. Looks like the one I found the other night wasn't the only one. I get the feeling that it's the careers that are doing it, killing us off one by one. He's come back with more dried fruit, and some kind of meat wrapped in foil. The meat is almost metallic but it tastes fine, and food poisoning is the least of my worries right now. I can feel myself dosing off but it's less like going to sleep and more like being unconscious, everything started going blurry around the edges. I feel Zach leaning in closer to me and he whispers really quietly, "Hey did you watch the 74th Games?" I nod beacause that's all I can manage now, it's like my brain can't control my body anymore. The purple lines spread while he was gone and it's crawling up to my neck now. It's poisoning me, killing me slowly. he continues with, "Did you notice how every time Katniss kissed Peeta a parachute came down with what they needed?" I hear the words but they don't make sense in my brain anymore, and I'm so tired. I'm just going to let it all go away for a second, he'll be fine without me for a minute. Just as I'm slipping away I hear "Don't go Blossom." He leans over me and presses his lips to mine. Sadly I'm gone before he gets there, but a parachute falls down from the sky anyway.

**Ooookay so yeah this is where it's going and I have some wonderfully evil plans in store, no one is going to be able to predict the ending hahaha. If you'd like to try and predict a winner I'd love to see what you guys come up with. Untill next time x**


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